The South Carolina Budget and Control Board’s Energy Office has awarded $5.8 million in federal stimulus money to 72 local governments to make energy efficiency improvements in government buildings.

Awards were made to smaller cities and counties which did not receive direct funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through its Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program (EECBG). Local governments worked with the state’s 10 Councils of Governments (COG) to apply.

Projects include installing energy efficient heating and air conditioning equipment, lighting, insulation, windows, heat pumps and waste water management systems. A full list of these projects listed by municipality is located at http://energy.sc.gov/publications/EECBGAwards.pdf.

“As towns and counties in South Carolina use this money to make much needed improvements to their public buildings, taxpayers will see a significant amount of savings due to greater energy efficiency,” John Clark, director of the Energy Office said. “The state will save more than $1.6 million annually in energy costs.”

Additionally, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has allocated $22 million in funding for direct formula grants to the following larger cities and counties in South Carolina:

• Cities: Charleston, Columbia, Goose Creek, Greenville, Mount Pleasant, North Charleston, Rock Hill, Spartanburg, Summerville and Sumter
• Counties: Aiken, Anderson, Beaufort, Florence, Greenville, Horry, Lexington, Richland, Spartanburg and York